Pathway to the PhD

Participants work with graduate students from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at approximately a 3:1 ratio. The graduate students design experiments for the undergraduates that are based on the graduate students’ thesis or lab's research.

In previous years, undergraduates have worked on how heart failure affects the recruitment of immune cells to the heart and how glucose affects the ability of the causative agent of cholera to form bacterial biofilms.

Goals of the Program

• Expose students to biomedical research and develop critical thinking skills when designing and evaluating research.
• Provide an opportunity to establish mentoring relationships with Tufts School of Medicine faculty and graduate students.
• Provide mentoring and advice on how to strengthen candidacy for applying to summer internships and graduate programs.
• Expose students to different career options available to students interested in biomedical research.

Curriculum Overview

• Conduct experiments in the areas of neuroscience, microbiology, immunology, cancer research, and more.
• Learn different research techniques, appreciate their limitations, understand how to analyze and interpret results, and effectively present data.
• Present research findings and discuss their significance and future directions.
• Network with graduate students and professors at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
• Learn how to apply to different summer research programs, post-baccalaureate programs, and graduate school.

For information on the P2P program, contact Aimee Shen, PhD, Program Director.

Information on the application process can be found here.

For information on the application process, Kimberley Burke, Program Administrator or contact Marlene Jreaswec, Program Manager.